US438642A - Rolls for rerolling old rails - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheetA 1.

l A. REESB. ROLLS PoR RBROLLING OLD RAILS.

N0. 438,642. Patented Oct. 2l, 1890.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) A REBSE ROLLS FOR RLROLLING 'OLD RAILS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets Sheet 3.

A. REESE. ROLLS POR REROLLING OLD RAILS. No. 438,642. Patented Oet. 21, 1,890.

mmm e im! HIHHH UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.l

ARTHUR RESE, OF SHARPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

`ROLLS FOR REROLLING OLD RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,642, dated October 21, 1890. n Application filed January 30, 1890. Serial No. 338,645. (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR REESE, a resident of Sharpsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rolls for Rerolling Old Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to mills or rolls for rerolling old rails, its obj ect being to improve the construction of mills for this purpose, such as are shown in Letters Patent No. 395,350, granted to Abram Reese Januaryl, 1889. In said patent is set forth an apparatus in which the rail is reduced in all directions and pressure is applied directly to the head thereof, while the web portion is supported against bending or buckling, so that the width or height of the web portion is reduced, so providing for the formation of rails of smaller section and having a narrower web portion than the standard rails fromwhich they are formed.

The present invention has forits object the providing of a mill in which the rail can be rolled in this manner to reduce its height and the width of the web, and can subsequently be rolled out to the finished rail of the section and weight desired.

The improvements desired to be covered relate to the locating and supporting of the vertical rolls, the adjustment of the same, and other improvements, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side View of a rail-rolling mill embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the housing and part of the mill employed for reducing the height of the rail. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. l. Figs. et, 5, and 6 are detail views of the iian ges of the rings for reducing the height of the rail; and Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the passes l and 2.

rail and the rapid and convenient rolling of the rail so reduced in height down to the desired section required, and the providing of apparatus for properly supporting the rolls for this purpose, and I therefore formthe apparatus, as shown, with two vertical housings A A, in which are mounted the three horizontal rolls B C D, these horizontal rolls being mounted in suitable boxes in the housings and having therein a series of grooves for rolling the rail down to the finished section desired, as will be hereinafter described. The rolls have at 011e end thereof the ordinary wabbler-heads for imparting motion to the rolls, and they have at the other end, extending out beyond the housings, the collars or extensions b c cl, which form part of the passes for reducing the height of the rail. Cast with or secured to that housing are the brackets a 0,' a2, which form the supports for the vertical rolls e and f, the journals of these rolls, being mounted in these brackets, extending out from the housings, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The rear ends of these brackets a d d2 are closed and the brackets braced by the screw plate or block r, through which the adjusting-screws extend, so as to press upon the journal-boxes of the vertical rolls, as hereinafter described, the plate or block g being secured to the brackets by bolts and nuts g', screwing over bolts extending out from the brackets, as shown, and thus providing for the adjustment of the vertical rolls toward or from the collars of the horizontal rolls of the passes. It will be noticed that these passes of the rolls are each formed of two horizontal rolls having flanges thereon, and so forming substantially the pass for the web and the tread or flange of the rail, and the vertical roll having a groove therein corresponding substantially to the head of the rail. I will first describe the construction of these parts and the special improvements in connection with them, and subsequently the other parts of my invention.

The collars b c cl of `the rolls are brought directly into contact with each other, and, if it is desired, the flanges b c d may be formed on these rolls as part thereof, though I prefer to employ separate rings containing these flanges, as hereinafter described. It will thus be seen that the joint of the horizontal rolls IOO is in the center of the tread of the rail. In this way the two rolls are caused to support or sustain the pressure together, and the back pressure imparted upon the head to reduce the height of the rail will be sustained by both rolls at a point where they brace each other. The flanges b and c', forming the last height, reducing pass, are necessarily of the same size, as itis necessary to bring the rail to the proper width for feeding into the ordinary grooves of the horizontal rolls. Itis, however, necessary to provide for some metal on the anges on which the rolls can act in this pass, and I therefore form the groove (Z2 between the Iiange d and the collar (l deeper than the grooves b2 c2 in the other rolls, and when the bar is passed through the pass l of these rolls on account of the depth of the groove d2 it will leave sufficient metal for the draft through the pass 2, thus providing for the reducing of the height of the rails in three-high rolls and the rapid working of the same. It is of course evident that the Iianges h c d are of comparatively little thickness, and that the strength thereof is not so great as is desirable, and in order to further strengthen these flanges I form on the outer faces of the collars and beyond the anges the re-enforcing faces h3, the faces of the rolls e f having corresponding annular seats e2 therein to receive these-re-enforcing faces, and the flange portions of the rolls being thus thickened and strengthened. In order to form these iange portions upon the rolls and to provide for replacement in case of breakage without the loss of the entire roll, I form the Han ges upon rings h, the ends of the collars of the horizontal rolls being reduced, so as to form seats' for the rings, and the rings being secured thereto by keys h. These rings can be made at comparatively small cost by casting from steel, and in case of breakage of the flange portions, which are the weakest parts thereof, as above stated, or of the wear of the collars, the rings can be quickly removed and others secured in their place. The anges and the reenforcing faces b3 may be formed upon the rings.

lhe journal-boxes k Z on, in which the vertical rolls are mounted, are provided with flanges fitting above and below the brackets a a a2, and they thus act to hold the rolls in line. rlhe rolls have the journals e and f fitting on these j ournal-boxes, the lower journal of the upper roll e and the upper journal of the lower roll f both fitting within the same journal-box l and meeting therein, so that the bearing or neck of the upper roll rests uponl the bearing or neck of the lower roll. rPhe lower journal-box 'm has the closed base m', in the center of which is formed a threaded hole, into which screws the adj Listing-screw a, this screw bearing upwardly against the lower journal or neck of the lower vertical roll, and so supporting the Weight thereof, and in so doing sustaining the weight of both vertical rolls, as the upper roll c rests upon the lower roll f. By means of this one adj listing-screw I am thus enabled to adjust the vertical rolls, and I also simplify the construction of the apparatus by employing the two rolls in the same sets of bearings. The grooves e3 f in these vertical rolls correspond to the head portion of the rail and are made of the proper depth to impart the direct pressure upon the head of the rail to reduce its height, this depending upon the size or weight of rail rolled. It is found desirable to have the vertical rolls, which are driven by friction, held in contact with the horizontal rolls, so that when the rail is fed thereto it can be more easily entered than if the vertical roll were not rotating. It is, however, necessary to adjust the vertical rolls according to the amount of reduction to be imparted to the rail, and in this case the vertical rolls would necessarily be pressed back out of contact with the horizontal rolls against the feeding-screws.

To provide for holding the vertical rolls in contact with the horizontal rolls, therefore, I employ around the feeding-screws the springs p, which bear against the journal-boxes, and so press the rolls forward, so that they will be revolved by frictional contact with the horizontal rolls, and when the rail is fed thereto the roll will be pushed back against the feeding-screwand form the proper depth of pass.

As the vertical rolls are mounted in the same journal-boxes, it is necessary that they shall be adjusted horizontally together, and for this purpose I employ the three feedingscrews r r r2, these feeding-screws passing through the screw-plate g, which is threaded for the purpose, and bearing upon the journal-boxes klm, respectively. The outer ends of the feeding-screws are formed angular, as at s, and the cog-wheels tt t2 fit around these angular ends of the screwto rotate them, idle cog-wheels u being placed between the said cog-wheels t t' t2 to transmit the power to them. To hold these cogs in line, I employ the sleeves fu, fitting around the feeding-screws against the outer face of the screw-plate g and bearing on the inner faces of the cogwheels.

The idle-gears u are mounted in studs u', extending out from the screw-plate, and I also prefer to employ the sleeves c over these studs, as shown, so that all of the cog-wheels are held the desired distance from the rear face of the screw-plate.

To hold the screws in line, I employ on the idle-gears u the fianges u2, which extend over the driving-gears t f t2, and so hold them in place upon the feeding-screws, the idle-gears being held upon the studs by the nuts a3. By such construction in case it is desired to take the apparatus apart it is only necessary to unscrew the nuts g securing the screw-plate g to the brackets a a a2, when the entire feeding mechanism can be lifted away by a crane. In case it is desired to remove either of the screw-bars or their cogs, it is only necessary IOO IIO

IZO

to unscrew the nut holding the idle-gear eX- tending over it and remove that idle-gear, when the screw-gear with its cog can be withdrawn.

The feeding mechanism can be operated by a hand-wheel fw, applied to one of the feedingscrews-such, for example, as the feedingscrew fr.

The passes in the rolls employed for bringing the blank to the desired diameter and finished shape are as follows: The pass 3, being the first pass in the horizontal roll, is provided to reduce any fin which may have been formed upon the base of the flange of the rail in its passage through either of the height-reducing passes, the rail being first passed through the pass 3, and thence by the passes 4, 5, 6, and 7, or any suitable number of passes for the purpose, being brought down to the particular section of rail desired. In the rolling of the rail in the apparatus above described, after it has been brought to the proper heat, it is first passed through the pass 1 of the height-reducing passes, and in said pass, while the head of the rail is reduced but little and the flange thereof is reduced according to the proper width thereof for the finished rolls, the pressure of the vertical roll f upon the head of the rail causes the reduction in the width of the web, while the web is supported and prevented from bending or buckling by the anges c d of the rail. On accountof the greater depth of the groove d2 sufficient metal is left in the flange to provide for the carrying of the rail to the pass 2 of the height-reducing passes, and the action in this pass is substantially the same as that in the pass l, the height or width of the web being still further reduced, while the flange is brought to the proper width for feeding to the regular horizontal rolls. In case a further reduction is required in the height of the rail the turn of the hand-wheel between the second and third passes in upsetting-rolls will give the amount desired. As the rails are fed to these passes, on account of the springs p the vertical-rolls are held in contact with and are rotated by the horizontal rolls, and the rails can be more easily fed thereto, as it is not necessary to overcome the inertia of the vertical rolls. The rails are then fed to the pass 3, and any iin formed on the lower surface thereof which might interfere with the feeding of the same to the ordinary railpasses is reduced, and the rail is then fed through the iinishin g passes until brought to the desired section.

The whole operation can thus be performed in a single mill and within such space as will provide for the easy and rapid handling of the rail without the loss of unnecessary heat therein, while the control of the vertical rolls and the proper adjustment thereof are rendered simple and easy.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the housings A A,`having the horizontal' rolls therein, said rolls being provided with the collars b c d, having flanges b c d, the brackets a a a2, extending out from said housings, and the vertical vrolls e f, journaled in said brackets, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the horizontal rolls having the collars b c d beyond the housings, provided with flanges b c d', the grooves b2 c2 d2 between said flanges and the collars, the groove d2 of one roll being deeper than the groove c2 of the adjoining roll, and the vertical rolls e f, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the horizontal rolls having the collars at the ends thereof, said collars being provided with flanges corresponding to the tread and web of the rail, and said flanges having the re-enforcing faces b2 beyond the same, and the vertical roll having seats or depressions c2 on its face into which such re-enforcing faces b3 can enter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the housings having the brackets extending out therefrom,the horizontal rolls mounted in the housing and provided with the collars, and the vertical rolls mounted in the journal-boxes in said brackets, the rolls e f being mounted in the same j ournal-box in the central bracket a', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the housings having the brackets extending out therefrom, the horizontal rolls mounted in the housings and provided with the collars, the vertical rolls e f, mounted in the jou rnal-boXes in said brackets, the vertical rolls IOO being mounted in the same journal-box in the central bracket a', and the j ournal-boxm, having the closed base lm', provided with the adjusting-screw fn, supporting the bearing of the lower roll f, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the horizontal rolls, the vertical roll, screws for adjusting it toward and from the horizontal rolls, and the springs p, bearing on the journal-boxes of the vertical roll to hold it in contact with the horizontal rolls, substantially as and for the puposes set forth.

7. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the horizontal rolls having collars extending out beyond the housing, said collars having removable rings keyed thereto and provided with the flanges corresponding to the tread and web portion of the rail, and the vertical roll completing the pass, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the housings having brackets ct a a2, the rolls e f, mounted in said brackets, the adjusting-screws bearing on the j ournal-boxes thereof and carrying gear-wheels at the outer ends thereof, and the sleeves fitting oversuch feeding-screws and against the gear-wheels, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In rolls for rolling rails, the combination of the housings having brackets a ce a2, the rolls e f, mounted in said brackets, the adjusting-screws bearing on the j ournal-boxes thereof and carrying gear-wheels at the outer end thereof, the sleeves fitting over Such feeding-screws and against the gear-wheels, and

1o the idle gear-Wheels between the feedinggears having flanges fitting against the outer faces of the feeding-gears, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ARTHUR REESE, have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR Witnesses:

ROBT. D. ToTTEN, J. N. COOKE.

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